Reconciliation
by SlytherinScoundrel
Summary: Harry Potter is empty after what happened in the war. Draco Malfoy is lost without his family's power. What will happen when the two meet? Read to find out...
1. Chapter 1- Not so unexpected

**Chapter 1- Not-so-unexpected**

Harry Potter. The Saviour of the Wizarding world, the Hero of the Light, the brave and confident man who defeated the most evil wizard of the century. _Ha! As if._ He thought to himself. _If they could see me now._ He waved his wand carelessly at the door and dragged himself inside, eyes flickering emptily around his vast entryway. He sighed. All the riches in the world wouldn't fill up the emptiness inside his soul; would not quench the dry, barren expanse that stretched endlessly through his core.

"Honey, I'm home," he called, the sound reverberating slightly against the polished hallway, as he listened for the answer that would come every day when he returned. But today, it didn't. Frowning slightly, he tried to get himself to care, to call louder; but to no avail, he just didn't. Care, that is. He loosened his tie and kicked off his shoes as he trudged up the staircase that led to the master bedroom, pausing at the door as he heard furious whispering coming from inside. "Hermione, what am I going to do?! I can't have a you-know-what! But he'll know; we haven't, you know, for months….I know it was stupid, but you know how he is! I needed it, you must understand! For crying-out-loud Herms! I shouldn't have done it, I know, but I couldn't help myself. And I thought he had taken the precautions… I don't know what to do!" He heard Ginny wail. A slight stirring of curiosity was felt in the depths of his chest, and he was about to squash it down to where it belonged, when… "How am I supposed to go to him and tell him I'm pregnant? By Cormac fucking McLaggen, of all people!"

Harry raised an eyebrow and pushed open the door. "Language, Ginny, dear," he sighed. "Now would you like to remain in this house, or shall I?" There was no malice in his voice, just exhaustion. He turned to find Ginny standing there, gaping at him. "And I would advise you to stop doing that, we wouldn't want you to choke on a fly now, would we?"

"But aren't…aren't you, uhh angry? At me?" She stammered. "No, why would I be?" he replied calmly. "Because I'm pregnant! Not by you!"

"Yes, I heard you the first time," said Harry. "However, I am not angry. I was not catering to your needs, so you went and fixed the situation. I was never going to have sex with you, Gin, so it's only natural for you to have gone and found what you need with someone else. Now, I'll ask again, would you like to move out, or shall I?"


	2. Chapter 2- Decisions, decisions

**Chapter 2- Decisions, decisions**

Harry Potter sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. But what else was there to do? Ginny was still here, refusing to move; spouting some bullshit about having a connection to the home or whatever. And he could not be here. But where, if not here? There was nowhere to go- Ron was off with Hermione on an impromptu vacation in Europe, the Weasleys were still mourning Fred, and the remainder of his friends were either gone or too scared to approach him- after the war. The war- it seemed so long ago, yet it had been only 3 months since he had collapsed to the ground, wand arm still trembling after the most intense duel of his life, an eerie silence in his ears and (though he didn't know it) a vacancy in his eyes. Where could he go? Everyone was slowly putting themselves together, crawling out of their misery, supporting each other. Luna was getting married in July, Dean was opening a small business, Neville was undertaking a Herbology apprenticeship. Even Hogwarts had been repaired- it opened in September for the start of the new school year.

 _It's funny_ , Harry would later think, _how you can think about something, and then receive a letter from the object of your thoughts just a few minutes later_.

At first, returning to Hogwarts seemed pointless. After all, Harry's success over Voldemort opened almost any door for him now- he wouldn't need perfect grades or teacher recommendations to get his dream job. Besides, his old school contained too many memories; he didn't know if he could handle the weight of them. But the more he thought about it, the more the idea began to make sense. He just had a feeling in his gut that Hogwarts would give him the closure others had gained months ago, the closure he was so desperately seeking. Perhaps reliving memories wouldn't be so bad, not to mention he felt as though, somehow, he owed to all those that had died, to finish the education they had all fought so hard for.

His mind was made up. Harry Potter would return to Hogwarts.

Hundreds of miles away, Draco Malfoy sat in a similar but different situation. The familiarity of a Hogwarts letter provided solace in the current chaos of Malfoy Manor. It had taken the Ministry three months to decide what to do with him. They had been confused when he rejected his family's blood racism and prejudiced views, even more so when he begged them – imagine, a Malfoy! Begging! – to give him a second chance, pleading with the Wizengamot to take note of his lack of negative action, trying to convince them he had been forced into it. He agreed when they decided to exile his parents to France. When they searched all the Malfoy properties and confiscated any object they deemed "dark". When they decided to liquidate all Malfoy assets and absorb the majority of the Malfoy fortune into the Ministry. A fortune that had been amassed over hundreds of years. And now, he was agreeing to hand over his childhood home. He had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. All his acquaintances were under some form of punishment, and the Malfoy name was no longer what it used to be- he was back down to the bottom of the ladder. So, really, accepting the Headmistress' offer was not a choice at all; what else could he do? Draco sighed as he rose to pack the few remaining belongings he had back into his old Hogwarts trunk.

Draco Malfoy was also returning to Hogwarts.

And, boy, would it turn out to be one hell of a year…


End file.
